Sarah did not sleep that night, nor did she move from the room she had been locked in until her father came to fetch her, claiming that they had another day's ride before they reached his army encampment. He had managed to build a large enough army, but he still needed more men. He was well aware of that. He also knew that the majority of his men could not be trusted. Jon Snow had told him enough about that. It had taken time for Stannis to gain fealty from the Northern Houses, but he was slowly managing to make them see his way of life. But he had a sense that House Bolton would be an issue to him.
He also knew that once he reached his encampment, he would send his wife and daughters somewhere safe. He would send plenty of men to make sure that Sarah did not try to escape. He could see it in her eyes that defiance was lurking there.
"Your mother would have you starve until you see your mistakes," Stannis informed Sarah as he walked by her side out of the tavern. Sarah kept her eyes straight ahead whilst Stannis continued to look down at her, wondering if he could gain her father once more. He wanted his daughter back. He wished she had never met Jaime Lannister.
"And you?" Sarah asked him back and Stannis produced an apple from underneath his cloak, standing still and offering it to his daughter.
"I would have you continue to live," Stannis promised her. "The Lady Melisandre and your mother continue to speak of your treachery. What you have done is anything but-"
"-What I did was fall in love with a man who had changed himself," Sarah interrupted her father, her narrow glare on the apple she refused to take from her father's hands. "Jaime admitted to himself that he wanted nothing to do with his sister or her son when he returned to King's Landing. Why can you not see that?"
"Because he is the enemy," Stannis hissed back to his daughter. "He could have been something special. He could have been heir to Casterly Rock and he could have had power. He chose to squander it serving for a drunken King so that he could fuck his whore sister. That scarcely impresses me, Sarah."
"There is much more to him than that," Sarah snarled back and Stannis shook his head, pressing the apple into her hands.
"I want you to be happy," he assured her in a weak voice. "I want nothing more than to see you married to a Lord who will love you the way I never loved your mother. But give up your foolish notion of that man being Jaime Lannister."
Sarah allowed her father to take her arm and lead her towards the congregation, her jaw stern and her teeth grinding together.
...
Jaime Lannister had looked upon his house's seat with an expression of worry and wonder. It had been a long time since he had seen Casterly Rock, but nothing had changed. He had entered the castle with his head held high, people looking at him in an accusing manner, but not daring to say anything to his face. Ser Damion Lannister had been the last person he expected to see at Casterly Rock.
Jaime climbed down from his horse looking worse for wear and weak. He had not dared to rest for too long, knowing that if anyone found him and noted his golden hand, he could well expect to lose his life. And so here he now was, back at the place where he had grown up.
"Ser Damion," Jaime spoke the name of his Lannister relative as a stable boy took his horse and the elderly man walked towards him. Damion could scarcely be called young, his white hairline was slowly receding and he wore wrinkles around his face. But he had a small smile on his taut lips as he bowed his head to Jaime.
"Ser Jaime, what are you doing here?"
"It is rather a long story, you see," Jaime spoke in a low drawl. "I had been captured by Stannis Baratheon, but all is well now. Fortunately I do not return home without my left hand. I also heard that Robb Stark had attacked the Rock, but it appears to be in perfect condition."
"So you have not heard the news?"
"That my father is dead?" Jaime checked. "And my brother killed him? I know of that, but I do not know of Robb Stark."
Damion shifted uncomfortably on his feet for a few moments and looked around as Jaime longed to change from his soiled clothes and soak in a warm bath. He remained still, eyeing Damion with suspicion as the old man looked worried for a few moments.
"Awful news," Damion grunted. "Your brother has gone missing now. No one has seen him in weeks. And it is true, Robb Stark laid siege to Casterly Rock, but your father caught him before any damage could be done. He fled with his remaining forces and no one has heard of him since."
"I should suspect not," Jaime mumbled back. "And what of my sister? I trust she still mourns over her son?"
"You do not of your sister? You have merely been gone for a few weeks, but so much has happened," Damion spoke in a low voice. "Your sister demanded for you to be stripped of your place on the Kingsguard. She declared you a traitor and refused to allow Casterly Rock to fall into your name."
Jaime felt his mouth dry up at this knowledge. How could Cersei be so cruel? To remove him from the Kingsguard was one thing, but to take away his home afterwards was another, much more heinous act. But he should not be surprised. She had turned into a woman he did not recognise. He never truly understood her, nor did he particularly wish to now. She could rot in the Seven Hells if she so wished to.
"But your sister finds herself in grave trouble," Damion continued and snapped Jaime from his already hideous thoughts. "She has been accused of murder and other crimes in King's Landing. After Joffrey's death she attempted to have Margaery Tyrell arrested once the girl had married Tommen to secure her place as Queen. Some say that Cersei is not of a sound mind...but I wrote to the High Septon and King Tommen has restored Casterly Rock to you. I only thought it fair. I would love to tell you more, but I do not know more, in truth. She wrote to you...I have not opened the letter, but it is in your old chamber."
Jaime kept still, not sure what he should say back to the castellan in front of him. His sister truly had ruined herself with her insistent plotting and scheming. Jaime shouldn't be surprised, but he was. He was surprised that she had finally been caught out after many years. But he felt nothing inside of him. There was no flaming desire for him to go and rescue her; no anger at the people who had dared to harm her.
He felt nothing for her.
"I shall read the letter whilst bathing," Jaime finally spoke. "Casterly Rock is now mine, is it not?"
"Aye, Ser Jaime," Damion inclined his head again and Jaime swept past him, ignoring people as they stared at him. Let them stare. Let them whisper about him what they would.
He finally came to his chamber and spotted the letter which Damion had mentioned. He saw her neat scrawl on the envelope and he slowly picked it up before dropping it down just as quickly; as though it had just burnt him. No. He would not open the letter. He would not read what she had to say.
Cersei had made her position very clear when she had threatened to serve Sarah's head to Jaime at the wedding feast. He only had enough room in his thoughts for one woman; and that was the one they called the Princess of Dragonstone.
...
Being dismissed from her father gave Sarah ample time to decide what it was she wanted to do. Stannis had seen her ride in isolation, not even Shireen could cheer her up and bring a smile to her face. They had reached the encampment after a few days ride and Stannis finally heard of all the news which had travelled through Westeros.
Jaime Lannister was no Lord of Casterly Rock and King Tommen sat on the throne. Cersei Lannister had been imprisoned for multiple crimes and Robb Stark was in hiding somewhere after Lannister forces defeated him after his attack on Casterly Rock. But it was Jaime Lannister who concerned Stannis. He now had the entire Lannister army at his command, and Stannis knew that was dangerous.
And so he had not been shocked when he had received the raven from the one and only Jaime Lannister on the second day of reaching his encampment. He had yet to send his wife and daughters to somewhere safe, choosing to assemble a strong guard for them before he did so.
"The Kingslayer wants your daughter as a hostage in return for Lannister forces remaining neutral. He only asks that you send the King Tommen to Casterly Rock to be with him."
"He is trying to play me for a fool," Stannis snarled as Lady Melisandre continued to read through the letter, admitting that Ser Jaime Lannister was a bold man with the commands he was asking from Stannis Baratheon. "What makes him think that I would spare his bastard should he take my daughter from me?"
"I imagine that he would send his Lannister men to King's Landing should you kill his bastard. He would take the throne from you straight away," Melisandre replied. "Of course he does not realise that you are the One God's true champion. You should not bend the knee to him and give him what he wants."
"And if I do not?" Stannis wondered back. "He would march against me. My forces are weak enough as they are. He could destroy me without a second thought. The Lannisters still hold too much power."
"So you contemplate accepting his demand?" Melisandre wondered back. "You contemplate selling your own daughter for the Iron Throne?"
"My own daughter wouldn't care," Stannis sniped back. "We both know that Sarah would be happy enough to keep Jaime Lannister's bed warm at night. But why is he remaining neutral? Why is he not helping his sister?"
Melisandre walked through the tent slowly, her hands trailing over the desk which Stannis sat at. She dropped the letter to the wooden surface and leant against the desk provocatively. Stannis ignored her and picked the letter back up, his lip curling at Jaime Lannister's demands.
"He is trying to play you," Melisandre responded. "He is trying to play into getting what he wants; and that is your daughter. An alliance with the enemy is not needed, my King."
"And going against the enemy will see all my men die," Stannis snarled back at Melisandre. "You know what happened at Blackwater Bay. I cannot go through that again. Jaime Lannister is an arrogant bastard, but he is not foolish."
Melisandre's brows furrowed and she wondered if she was hearing Stannis correctly. It seemed that she was. He was talking of giving his daughter up to gain the Throne. She never thought that he would have done such a thing.
"You were about to take the man's head for running your daughter, and now you think it possible to give her to him?" Melisandre checked and Stannis stood up from the desk to his feet, throwing the letter onto the desk as he continued to glower at the Lady Melisandre and she kept her gaze level with his, refusing to back down on the matter.
"Have you seen my daughter recently?" Stannis snarled lowly. "Have you looked her in the eye and seen her? I have, and I see nothing. She is empty...hollow...she can barely stand to look at me and she can scarcely spend time with her sister without making Shireen cry in fear that she has done something to upset her. Sarah is not the girl she was."
"So sending her to Jaime Lannister would bring her happiness?" Melisandre shook her head. "And that is your main concern, is it? The happiness of your daughter?"
"Yes!" Stannis finally snapped. "She is my daughter. It is my right to be concerned about her, regardless of what she has done. Selyse would see her punished for her defiance and you would see me keep her here and have my army destroyed and my daughter taken from me regardless."
Stannis felt anger grow inside of him as he realised his dilemma and he began to move from the room, Melisandre calling after him as he went;
"She is a foolish girl," Melisandre snapped. "Life very rarely ends in happiness, especially in a time of war."
Stannis ignored her and continued to move from the tent, wondering what to do for the best.
...
A/N: So thank you to mellielannister, nessapasimio9 and CupcakesAndAlice for reviewing the Previous chapter. Do let me know what you think!
